This drawing corresponds closely in composition to a picture last recorded at Drouot, Paris, 16-7 March 1987, lot 183 (H. Robels, Frans Snyders, Stilleben- und Tiermaler 1579-1657, Munich, 1989, pp. 292-3, no. 177, illustrated), of which there is a workshop reduction in the Castle Museum, Norwich. The Paris picture, which shows only the arms of the monkey on the right and is probably cut on that side, may have been the original which is seen in Willem van Haecht's Gallery of Cornelis van der Gheest of 1628, now in the Rubenshuis, Antwerp.
Dr. Robels, on the basis of a photograph, suggests that this is a ricordo of the painted composition. Being more subtle and refined in quality, she considers it superior to the drawing of the same subject and of almost identical size from the Mariette collection, now in the Stedelijk Prentenkabinet, Antwerp (Robels, op.cit., p. 413, no. Z30, illustrated). Most recently that drawing was described as possibly a ricordo by Snyders' brother in law Paul de Vos after the painted composition, F. de Nave, C. Depauw, Rondom Rubens, tekeningen en prenten uit eigen verzameling, exhibition catalogue, Antwerp, 1991, pp. 174-7, no. 32, illustrated. This corresponds with Robels' observation that some of the ricordi may have been done in Snyders' workshop, which would explain the variety of quality.